News Room
Lastest News
Lastest News
11th April 24
Astral Aviation Consulting are delighted to have been awarded a contract to support Osprey Aviation LLC in bringing their existing aircraft onto a new 2 Reg Air Operator Certificate.
This AOC will bring Osprey under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) umbrella which will bring benefits such as the harmonisation of regulations and high safety standards. This will allow Osprey to be more dynamic in their executive charter and medivac operations whilst continuing to deliver a high level of service and excellence to their clients.
Jamie Lenox, founder and MD of Osprey said “I am delighted to have Chris and team on board, their experience and knowledge in this area will be key in supporting Osprey’s growth and help usserve our customers globally and throughout Asia”
2nd April 24
Astral Aviation Consulting Ltd (AAC) has been awarded a contract for the provision of General Aviation (GA) Safety Promotion by The UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) commencing 1 April 2024.
For the past three years AAC has successfully delivered an extensive campaign on behalf of the CAA General Aviation Unit (GAU), providing a cost effective and efficient safety promotion and education service to pilots across the general aviation sector to support existing work led by the GAU and Communications teams.
Following a thorough internal procurement process involving reviews of written proposals and formal presentations, Astral Aviation Consulting Ltd, came out on top again and were awarded the contract for a second time which will see AAC continue to deliver this until 2027.
With a strategic data led approach, combined with an understanding of behavioural change, the campaign was described as being ‘super charged’. It centres on a series of themed live workshops with immediate replays, as well as many other assets in the hosted on the AAC website ‘Learning Hub’. Working with experienced and new pilots as well as other aviation experts, a peer-to-peer learning approach was key to the successful tender.
Chris Kidd, Managing Director, Astral Aviation Consulting Ltd said, “Astral Aviation Consulting Ltd are delighted to be awarded the contract for a second term, despite stiff competition.
By partnering with the CAA on this important safety project we are looking to continue the successful delivery of our promotion and education campaign, enabling the GA community to contribute to the wider safety discussion. We look forward to engaging with the community and facilitating dialogue on current and future challenges surrounding the safety of General Aviation.”
21st March 24
Signup is now open for the next GA workshop: Defensive flying being held on Wednesday the 24th of April. Join Matt and Nigel as they cover route selection, GNSS, getting the best out of electronic conspicuity aids, joining and departing the airfield and how to best conduct a personal debrief.
20th March 24
The replay of the very popular Practice Forced Landing Workshop is now available. Click this link to watch it on catch up.
31st January 24
The replay of the Beyond the PPL Workshop is now available. Click this link to watch it on catch up.
Practice Forced Landings
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel to explore the nuances of Practice Forced Landings (PFLs), how to handle them, what examiners look for on tests and get some top tips from the team.
Beyond the PPL
Join guest presenters Matt Lane and Nigel Willson for a look at what is available once pilots gain the PPL or LAPL.
Workshop: Winter weather
Join us for a session on winter weather, where we’ll be joined by Weather School’s Simon Keeling and Joanna Aston from the CAA.
Workshop: transiting controlled airpace
Come along and learn all you need to know about transiting UK controlled airspace, with guest presenter Darren Lewington from Eagle Flight Training. Darren was previously the Senior Air Traffic Control Officer, Operations Director and Accountable Manager at Gloucestershire Airport.
Tech workshop
Sign up is now open for our next workshop, which will focus on all things tech, including Skydemon, Garmin EFIS and electronic conspicuity. The workshop will cover use and top tips.
Workshop: General Aviation drop in clinic
Come along and ask your questions to our panel of examiners and instructors. This session is suitable for SEP, MEP and PPL(H) students and qualified pilots.
Workshop: Skill Fade
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel to discuss Skill Fade in this hour-long interactive workshop.
RT Workshop
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel Willson as they talk through radiotelephony. They will provide some top tips as well as highlighting some pitfalls. This workshop is a refresher for more experienced pilots as well as being suitable for those who are still learning.
Sky watching: clouds for pilots
We’ll be joined by Dr Simon Keeling and MET technical officer Jo Aston for this interactive workshop. Sign up here.
Just Culture
Join Chris and special guests Dr Sarah Flaherty, Chris Mason and Ian Seager to discuss Just Culture within the CAA and how that relates to GA flying. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Top Tips for a Successful PPL Examination Flight
Join Chris and Matt and to find out what the top tips are to help you pass your next PPL Examination Flight. Suitable for student pilots and as a refresher for experienced pilots alike, come along and get involved. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Arrivals and Departures + RT
Join Chris and Matt to discuss best practices for arrivals and departures, as well as the associated radio telephony. They will provide some recommended topics for revision and also, some practical advice on what pitfalls are out there and how to avoid them. This interactive session will get you thinking about your preparation and planning, along with workcycles. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Weather guide to planning day trips
Join Chris and Matt and Simon Keeling for weather workshop on planning the perfect day trip. The trio will go through some of the planning and prep involved, as well as talking through a range of other considerations. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Emergency Handling Workshop
Join Chris, Matt and guest Steve Slater (Head of the LAA) for an extra special workshop on emergency handling. They'll talk through practical tips for various scenarios, as well as times when they've had to handle emergencies themselves. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section.
GA Reporting: Mythbusting
Join Chris, Matt and Steve Forward (Director Aviation at CHIRP) to discuss GA reporting, as well as how you can report to help other pilots. They'll provide some practical advice on the types of reports out there and how to complete them before moving on to discuss confidentiality, what reports are used for and why reporting is so important.
Return to flying
Join Chris and Matt to discuss Returning to Flight and what you can do to give yourself the best start to the flying season after the winter months.
Human Factors for GA pilots
Join Chris, Matt and Katy Lee to discuss Human Factors and how they affect us as General Aviation pilots.
